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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · chair · rash · content · trunk · file · march · jam

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. march — the month
  5. content — the amount
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rash — a series
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. march — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com